Master of Mankind (expect spoilers)

[Fire Golem]

Can you pick this up in the book stores or is it only currently available via BL ?

You can get the hardback in games workshop stores, and the ebook, but it won't be in General book stores yet.

[depthcharge12]

I believe it was said by Mr. Churchill, ADB -

 

"If you're making enemies, you're doing the right thing."

 

I can see why people disagree over things, but this is what is best about our universe and your writing: intellectual discourse.

 

I'm not quite finished but I'm loving it so far, especially Arkhan Land and his little Cyber monkey...whose tail was clearly intended for a poisonous jab and not a prehensile digit ;)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

 

Can you pick this up in the book stores or is it only currently available via BL ?

You can get the hardback in games workshop stores, and the ebook, but it won't be in General book stores yet.

 

 

I am picking mine up this Saturday !

[grailkeeper]

HI ADB. There are full Scans of Master of Mankind available online already. I sent you a tweet about it. Want me to pm you a link so you can protect your work? I'm an author of a couple of non fiction books myself and I know I wouldnt want them pirated.

[TheAlephNull]

I found this little bit interesting:

 

 

Dorn’s jaw tightened. ‘Listen to yourself, Diocletian. Hear the words you are speaking and the course

you advocate.’

‘Necessity overcomes morality’, Kaeria’s hands signed in the air before her breastplate. ‘Never without

regret. Never without shame. Yet even immoral victory must outweigh moral defeat. The victor will

have a chance to atone if conscience demands. The vanquished lose any such opportunity.’

‘You quote my own brother at me?’ Dorn narrowed his gaze. ‘Roboute is not here, Oblivion Knight.

Would that he were. In his absence, I am Lord Commander of the Imperium.’

 

 

(It's not really a "spoiler", but perhaps some people don't like reading passages before getting their hand on the book.)

 

Dorn seems to see it as a matter of course that Guilliman would have been Lord Commander if he had been available. A bit surprising considering some of the earlier descriptions of Dorn in the series (how only he has the "spark of brilliance"), but certainly in line with his humble mindset. In the earlier edition descriptions of Dorn (specifically the Index Astartes article) he had never asked for or expected any special honours and was content doing what was expected of him.

 

The way my favourite Legion and Primarch have been treated in the series thus far I take every little nugget I can get.

 

This also seems a lot like the argument between Dorn and Alpharius. Why does Roboute get all the credit?

 

[A D-B]

HI ADB. There are full Scans of Master of Mankind available online already. I sent you a tweet about it. Want me to pm you a link so you can protect your work? I'm an author of a couple of non fiction books myself and I know I wouldnt want them pirated.

 

Many thanks, but if you can tell BL about it, you'll cut out the useless middleman (i.e. me.) And better not to say it publicly (twice, teehee!) since it just draws much more attention to it.

[Icarus1138]

It has been a widespread assumption that Custodes receive their genetic enhancement source material from the Emperor, in the same way Astartes get theirs from their Primarch. My thought has always been that based on what we know of the Emperor's philosophy and long-term plans to phase out Marines in favor of normal humans, Custodes are actually rebuilt using their own "perfected" DNA. I was interested to see that MoM could be interpreted to support that theory, as the Custodes are described as custom genetic masterpieces, unique works of art. It would also help explain why Custodes act more as highly skilled individual warriors than they do as brothers.

[Vaz]

Really enjoyed the read.

The scope of the losses the custodes take is shocking. It also reaffirms my belief that chapters need to be 10,000 marines strong. Looking at even the new fluff for the 1k sons, aint enough marines to give proper scope. 

The Emperor is interesting... the idea that the ends justifies the means rings loudly. He would kill all of his followers just to hold onto his dream for humanity. 

[Saphrael]

Just finished the book and really enjoyed it, will get into more nuanced discussion later, but for now... am I the only one who interpreted Zephon's command to Land to get him closer to the possessed Archimandrite as a version of the "Drive me closer, I want to hit it with my sword" meme? Because if that was intentional than I think it even trumps the inclusion of 'choom' as a cool reference.

[RandomMarine]

A couple of things that stood out to me are

 

1. lands raider is bigger than a Spartan

2. custodes are functionally immortal so valdor and co are still around in 40k(probably)

3. Ra stays incontrol even when possessed by the end of empires(deamon prince?)

4. The big E summons the souls of the dead to fight in webway including ferrus

5. Terra has a knight house now when it previously didn't

6. Introduced skitari and mechanicus robots

7.wraith constructs on Terra golly gee

 

Overall ADB knocked it out the park IMO

[Brofist]

In the end, Malals laughter will be the only thing remaining. . .

Gosh I do wish they brought back Malal

[Vaz]

I actually found myself feeling pretty bad for the Ten Thousand.

Like considering they are the elite of the elite, they got hit pretty freaking hard. Overall the battle sounds completely desperate and desperate. The emperor only reluctantly closes the portal at the end. Ra's fate, very sad. Overall an amazing novel by ADB, top notch work and I hope he continues to write about our beloved space marines.

[Memento Of Prospero]

I believe it was said by Mr. Churchill, ADB -

 

"If you're making enemies, you're doing the right thing."

 

 

I don't know about that, it's a cringe worthy quote.

[ronin_cse]

Just finished and heading to bed so just a quick comment: did no one else catch that

Land realized that the walls of the web way were built with material from outside the galaxy

?

[Phatsquirre1]

Just finished and heading to bed so just a quick comment: did no one else catch that

Land realized that the walls of the web way were built with material from outside the galaxy

?

 

I thought that was a reference to ye olde Frogs in SPAAACEEE!!! (Old Ones)

[ronin_cse]

 

Just finished and heading to bed so just a quick comment: did no one else catch that

Land realized that the walls of the web way were built with material from outside the galaxy

?

 

I thought that was a reference to ye olde Frogs in SPAAACEEE!!! (Old Ones)

 

 

What's that?

[depthcharge12]

 

 

 

 

Just finished and heading to bed so just a quick comment: did no one else catch that

Land realized that the walls of the web way were built with material from outside the galaxy

?

I thought that was a reference to ye olde Frogs in SPAAACEEE!!! (Old Ones)

What's that?

Very very old fluff. Pretty much the first successful sentient race in the galaxy who built the webway, supposedly seeded planets with a fair few races like the Eldar, Humans, and Krorks (orks).

 

They built the webway to combat Chaos' effect on the psychic races they made. They all got eaten by like the C'tan or Enslavers or something.

 

Or maybe the French for frog legs.

[Mango Polo]

Best book up there with some of the originals like First Heretic.

 

My only disappointment is that while Angron's condition was explained, there was not a peep about the Thousand Sons despite their primarch being the root of the book's problems. It all stems from the TS rampant mutations, leading to the Magnus-Tzeentch pact, so some thoughts as to why the Emperor traveled with them, witnessed the mutations, and did nothing (or could do nothing) would have been very fitting.

[The_son_of_Dorn]

I've said it once and I'll say it again. This all couldn't been averted by soul bounding all of the legion to the Emperor. Including magnus. The council of Nikea could of been so successful if they just linked the big red to the big E.

 

The dorian heresy made their weakness a defining key strength. If all the librarians had also been conected to the big E you could of safe guarded all. Yes they would all be blind but bang in a pair of augmented eyes and presto!

[The_son_of_Dorn]

Could of been averted* tried to edit my above message. The website won't let me.

[RandomMarine]

IMO malcador had the cure waiting similar how the ec needed fulgrim to stabilise the geneseed but magnus in his arrogance refused to ask for help so when magnus "cured" the flesh change malcador assumed magnus had found the same way as he had. Soon it was relayed back to malcador that it had been suppressed rather than cured the first agent of the sigilite that meets a loyal ts they offer him a cure.

 

Obviously this I'd mostly supposition as malcador is nearly as mysterious at the big E

 

And with SW the wulfen mutation is a beneficial one as I can see them as shock troops with unchecked fury but pack with coordination by design unlike the WE who are unchecked but because they are broken by the nails.

[Black Cohort]

I finished MoM a few hours ago, I feel like I will have to re-read it to get everything but overall I was an awesome book.

 

Two things that I wasn't a huge fan

 

 

why the first murder wasn't a bloodthirster/ khorne deamon prince?

 

I wanted to see more of Malcador

 

 

on the whole Ra carving through space marines/ are custodes to astartes what astartes are to guard, isn't Ra one of the top Custodes?  It sounded like he was #2 or 3 of all the custodes which were sent into the webway.  While the number of custodes that were sent into the webway was never given it seemed significant, like in the thousands.  Even if it was only 1000, the #3 guy of that would put him in the top 30 or the top 0.3%.  He isn't exactly a "standard" custodes.  Even top tier space marines can carve through lots of their own kind.

[b1soul]

 

on the whole Ra carving through space marines/ are custodes to astartes what astartes are to guard, isn't Ra one of the top Custodes?  It sounded like he was #2 or 3 of all the custodes which were sent into the webway.  While the number of custodes that were sent into the webway was never given it seemed significant, like in the thousands.  Even if it was only 1000, the #3 guy of that would put him in the top 30 or the top 0.3%.  He isn't exactly a "standard" custodes.  Even top tier space marines can carve through lots of their own kind.

 

Ra is the last tribune. I think tribunes would rank right below the Captain General.

 

Diocletian is a prefect. I'm not sure if that's simply a sergeant-like rank.

 

Aquillin was a prefect as well...so I think it's quite high.

[bluntblade]

One question - is there any indication of how far the project has to go before Magnus rear-ends it?

[Black Cohort]

 

 

on the whole Ra carving through space marines/ are custodes to astartes what astartes are to guard, isn't Ra one of the top Custodes? It sounded like he was #2 or 3 of all the custodes which were sent into the webway. While the number of custodes that were sent into the webway was never given it seemed significant, like in the thousands. Even if it was only 1000, the #3 guy of that would put him in the top 30 or the top 0.3%. He isn't exactly a "standard" custodes. Even top tier space marines can carve through lots of their own kind.

 

Ra is the last tribune. I think tribunes would rank right below the Captain General.

Exactly, with space marines a guy who commands 10% of legion is usually high on the marine power scale, it would be logical that custodes would work similarly. He probably isn't the single most skilled custodes, but he is likely close to that.